Darling Nikki ↠ Charlie Swan

chapter four

chapter four ~ what are you?

"So you guys are shapeshifters? That's so cool," I said as I stepped into the house, still trying to wrap my mind around everything.

Being in Forks had turned out to be a lot more complicated than I'd anticipated. First, there was Joshua's mysterious disappearance, then the unexpected discovery that he had another son aside from Sam and now, on top of everything, the strange new world I was being introduced to. A world where wolves weren't just a part of folklore—they were real.

I, meet shape-shifting wolves.

Sam gave me a knowing look, his expression serious as he gestured to an empty chair. "Nikki, can you sit down please?"

I nodded, hesitated for a moment, then took a seat in the chair closest to me. I wasn't sure if I was ready for another bombshell, but it felt like this town had more surprises in store.

Embry slid into the chair next to me, looking at me with curiosity. I could tell he was eager to know more, his eyes full of unspoken questions.

Emily, the calm and composed presence in the room, stepped forward, offering me a muffin. "Here, you must be starving," she said with a warm smile.

"Thanks," I said gratefully, accepting the muffin. My hands were still trembling slightly, but I tried to hide it. I took a small bite, letting the sweetness settle my nerves. There was an odd comfort in the familiar act of eating, a way of grounding myself when everything around me felt surreal.

The silence hung between us for a while as I nibbled on the muffin, glancing at everyone in the room. They all seemed to be waiting for someone to speak, and I wasn't sure if it should be me or them. I could tell that something important was about to happen. Something that would explain everything.

Finally, Sam broke the silence, his deep voice cutting through the quiet. "Nikki, you—"

But before he could finish, I interrupted, my voice coming out a little sharper than I intended. "I can't tell anyone. I know I've been keeping my secret even longer than anyone here."

There was a quiet understanding in the room as everyone exchanged looks. No one pushed me further, but I could tell they were waiting for me to trust them. They were all part of this strange world, and I was about to step deeper into it.

"There are some legends that all of the Quileute tribe knows," Sam began. "They're all true."

I raised an eyebrow, trying to keep the skepticism out of my voice. "What are the legends?"

Sam looked at me seriously, but there was a trace of pride in his eyes. "The Quileute tribe are, supposedly, descended from wolves. We are shapeshifters, who can transform into wolves in order to protect our tribe."

I blinked, processing what he'd said. Shapeshifters? Wolves? It was hard to believe, but something about the way Sam spoke, so matter-of-factly, made me realize that he wasn't joking. This wasn't some urban legend or campfire story. This was their reality.

I muttered the last part, almost to myself. "Protect your tribe from vampires."

"Yes," Sam confirmed, his voice low. "That's part of it."

"Alright," I said, adjusting myself in the chair, still processing the shock. "So, how does it work? What happened to allow you guys to phase?"

There was a pause before Sam answered. He seemed to be considering how much to tell me, but he didn't hesitate for long. "We have a gene in our bodies that allows us to shift, but only a few people have the wolf gene. This gene reacts when a vampire comes to town. The ones with the gene have a reaction and get an incredibly high fever, and once that happens, they can phase into a wolf."

I was silent for a moment, turning it over in my mind. I could feel the weight of their words settling on me. "Huh, okay," I said slowly. "And I'm guessing there are a few people other than Emily and everyone else who is present here who know about this?"

They all nodded, their expressions serious. This wasn't something they took lightly.

Jared, one of the other wolves, glanced over at me with a raised eyebrow. "How did you guess that?"

I shrugged. "Because I don't think Joshua would be traveling the country sleeping with random women, possibly getting them pregnant, if he knew he was passing on this gene." I didn't mean to sound so bitter, but the thought of Joshua running away from responsibility—again—bothered me more than I cared to admit.

There was a long, tense silence after that. But then Paul spoke up, his voice sharp and direct. "Now, are you going to tell us what you are?"

The question hung in the air like a challenge, and I realized that it was my turn. The truth was, I wasn't entirely sure how to explain what I was. The concept of being a Nymph seemed so foreign in this new reality, but I knew I couldn't hide it any longer.

I exhaled deeply, gathering my thoughts before responding. "I'm a Nymph. I have incredible super strength, agility, speed, and enhanced senses. I can control earth, rocks, and minerals. I can move underground, rise up quickly from the earth, and do things with nature. Nymphs exist in an unusual state of limbo between life and death. In general, nymphs are immortal, but some can be killed or made mortal through rare circumstances—secrets we guard dearly. In my case, my mother was a nymph, and my father was human. So, I'm only half Nymph."

I could feel the weight of their gazes on me, their eyes wide as they processed the information. I had just shared something huge—something personal—and I wasn't sure if they would be able to accept it.

"So, my baby sister may possibly be a shifter nymph?" Sam asked, his voice quiet, almost as if he were trying to wrap his mind around the idea.

"Yeah," I answered, rubbing my belly gently. "It's likely she will phase. Even if she never comes into contact with a vampire, it's in her blood."

Emily's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah," I said firmly. "She'll phase, even if she doesn't have the same reaction to vampires that you guys do. It's just the way it works. She'll have the ability, just like I did."

There was another long silence as everyone digested what I had said. Sam's gaze never wavered, though, his eyes full of concern.

"If she's anything like you," he said slowly, "then we'll have to make sure she's ready."

I nodded, my heart heavy with the weight of his words. "I know. I'll make sure she's ready. But for now, I just want to focus on keeping her safe. And keeping everyone else safe."

I could feel the tension easing in the room, but there was a new understanding between us now. They were part of this world. They knew how to handle the threats that came with it. And now, I was part of that world too. My daughter was part of it. And whatever came next, we would face it together.

I looked around at the group of wolves, some of whom had just learned about me, about my daughter, and what we were capable of. And as much as I was uncertain about the future, I knew one thing for sure: I wouldn't be facing it alone.